- BROCK LARSON MAKES UFC RETURN APRIL 1

by Damon Martin – MMAWeekly.com
Working diligently for the past year and a half to get back to a shot at the WEC welterweight gold, Brock Larson had a day of good news and bad news when he found out that opponent, Carlos Condit, had been forced out due to an injury. Reports had stated that it was Larson who faced an injury, but the Minnesota native couldn’t healthier as he found out that not only would the title fight not happen, but he’d soon be back in the UFC.

“They basically said Condit hurt his arm, initially they said he broke his hand, and later they told me he sprained his hand and now I guess he’s got a sprained wrist, so they said that they’re not going to have the fight, and they said you’re not fighting Condit,” Larson explained in an exclusive interview with MMAWeekly.com. “Then they said we’re going to move you two over to the UFC, and give you a new contract and so forth.”

While obviously happy to still have a safe home for his fight career, Larson expressed disappointment that he would have a chance to face Condit, who defeated him in August 2007.

“Much would have rather beat Condit up and kind of exposed him,” Larson said. “It looks like we’re both fighting in April. Not what I wanted to have happen actually.”

With his last fight in August 2008, Larson was looking forward to competing again soon, but his March 1 fight has now been cancelled. The UFC offered Larson the chance to fight in either March or April and the Minnesota native said with a baby on the way this month, he opted to fight on the April 1 UFC Fight Night card instead.

While his opponent has not been finalized, MMAWeekly.com confirmed with sources close to the fight on Friday that Larson’s opponent will likely be UFC newcomer, Jesse Sanders.

Larson’s original opponent, Carlos Condit, will fight on that same card against Martin Kampmann in the main event, and Larson wishes that he still had the chance to face the last ever WEC welterweight champion.

“I seriously believe I was going to beat him and I knew what I had to do to beat him, and I had a good gameplan, had a great training camp, I was training with Matt Hume, and I was a little disappointed for sure,” said Larson. “That would be what I would have done was to face Condit over there, but marketing issues I’m sure have something to do with it. It’s their business and whatever makes the most business sense is what they’re going to do.”

“In a small way I think he’s playing it smart cause you go out on top, WEC champ, more marketable, more money, better to go to the UFC with a win than a loss.”

When he returns to the UFC this will actually be Larson’s third fight for the promotion. He competed there in 2005 and 2006 and totaled a 1-1 record, and his biggest hope is after the fame he gained in the WEC that he doesn’t get lost in the mix of the welterweight division.

“Initially when I went to the WEC, me and Monte (Cox) kind of voluntarily went cause of exposure reasons,” Larson said. “I fought twice in the UFC, and nobody knew who I was, and I fight once in the WEC and people start knowing who I am, and by now a lot of people know who I am. Now I’m just hoping I don’t fall in the cracks and be the king of the undercards.”